--- type: "Article" title: "What is a standardised score in the 11+?" description: "A standardised score is your child's 11+ mark adjusted for age on a common scale, usually 69 to 141 with 100 as average. Here is what the numbers mean." resource: https://pip11plus.com/what-is-a-standardised-score-in-the-11-plus tags: ["11+", "pip"] timestamp: 2026-10-13T19:50:09Z image: https://pip11plus.com/info-hub-cards/score-gauge-pip.jpg --- 📊 Results & Scoring # What is a standardised score in the 11+? ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) **By the Pip team** Updated June 2026 A standardised score is your child's raw mark converted onto a common scale that adjusts for their exact age. It usually runs from about 69 to 141, with 100 sitting right in the middle as the average. The age adjustment matters because children in one school year can be almost twelve months apart, and it stops younger children being penalised for being born later in the year. Schools compare standardised scores, not raw marks, when they decide places. Want to see roughly where a raw mark lands on that scale? Try our [11+ score calculator](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-score-calculator). **TL;DR** - A standardised score puts your child's raw mark onto a common scale. - It adjusts for your child's exact age, so younger children are not disadvantaged. - Scores usually run from about 69 to 141, with 100 as the average. - Schools compare standardised scores, not raw marks, to decide places. ## What a standardised score is It is a way of expressing how your child did relative to everyone else who sat the same test, on one tidy scale. Rather than reporting a raw count of correct answers, the test turns that count into a score where 100 is the typical result. For home practice papers, see [what practice score your child should be getting](https://pip11plus.com/what-11-plus-practice-score-should-my-child-be-getting). For real exam results, see [what a good 11+ score is](https://pip11plus.com/what-is-a-good-11-plus-score). Most 11+ standardised scores fall between roughly 69 and 141. A child on 100 is average for the group, while higher numbers mean a stronger result. This conversion is the second half of [how the 11+ is scored and marked](https://pip11plus.com/how-is-the-11-plus-scored-and-marked), after the raw mark is counted. ## Why age is adjusted Children in the same Year 6 cohort can be almost a full year apart in age. A child born in September has had months more development than a classmate born the following August, and at age ten that gap can show. Age standardisation evens this out. The system looks at your child's age in years and months on the test date and adjusts accordingly, so a summer-born child is compared fairly with older peers. It is also why no child is ever simply "too young" to do well, even though everyone sits at around the same time. **Summer-born? The system accounts for it** Two children with the same raw mark can receive slightly different standardised scores if one is younger. The younger child's score is nudged to reflect their age, so being born late in the school year is not a disadvantage in itself. _Two children, same raw mark, different ages. The 11+ adjusts every score for age so a summer-born child is compared fairly._ ## What the numbers mean Use 100 as your anchor. It is the average, so a score above it means your child performed better than the typical child who sat the test, and a score below means the opposite. For grammar entry, a standardised score of around 110 or higher is often competitive, although the exact level depends on the school and the year. The top of the scale, near 141, is reached by very few children. Knowing this helps you read the [11+ pass mark](https://pip11plus.com/what-is-the-11-plus-pass-mark) sensibly and set a realistic target. ## Why schools use it A standardised score lets a school line up children who sat different papers, on different days, at different ages, and compare them on equal terms. A raw mark cannot do that. This is what makes the score the basis for selection, and it feeds directly into [how many children pass](https://pip11plus.com/how-many-children-pass-the-11-plus) and where the cut-off falls. You will usually see the standardised score itself when results arrive, so it helps to know [when 11+ results are released](https://pip11plus.com/when-are-11-plus-results-released). ## Can you improve a standardised score? You cannot change the age adjustment, but you can absolutely change the raw performance underneath it. Every extra question your child can answer accurately lifts the raw mark, and that lifts the standardised score. Steady, broad practice across all the tested skills is the reliable route, far more than last-minute cramming. A few minutes of [daily practice with Pip](https://pip11plus.com/index#get) keeps maths, English and reasoning improving gently across the whole year. ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) Written by **The Pip team** The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers. ## Keep reading [How is the 11+ scored and marked?](https://pip11plus.com/how-is-the-11-plus-scored-and-marked): Results & Scoring Raw marks to standardised scores, step by step. 5 min read · Results & Scoring [What is the 11+ pass mark?](https://pip11plus.com/what-is-the-11-plus-pass-mark): Results & Scoring No national figure. How the threshold is set. 5 min read · Results & Scoring [11+ score calculator](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-score-calculator): Results & Scoring Turn a raw mark into an estimated standardised score. 6 min read · Results & Scoring ## Small gains, every single day Pip mixes maths, English and reasoning into short sessions that adapt as your child improves, so the raw mark keeps climbing without the pressure. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) [More 11+ guides](https://pip11plus.com/info-hub) Free forever · no sign-up